Former Rhondda Borough Council Offices

The former Rhondda Borough Council Offices are a building dating from the 18th century, constructed of coursed rock-faced sandstone with extensive ashlar dressings and a rear rendered surface. The roof is hipped with Welsh slate and includes a stack on the right side. The building is roughly rectangular with a symmetrical palazzo frontage, and the side elevations are matching but less symmetrical.

The main frontage is two storeys high with a basement, and is five bays wide, the central bay slightly recessed. The windows have replaced glazing set within heavily channelled ashlar surrounds and voussoirs, notably prominent in height and acute angles on the ground floor, with matching staggered quoins. A central square-headed entrance, with voussoirs and quoins, is accessed by a flight of stone steps leading to a deeply recessed square-headed doorway containing an eight-panelled double door with a rectangular overlight and channelled surround. At the foot of the steps are entrance gates comprising four iron pilasters with sliding metal railed gates. A heavy bracketed and panelled cornice sits above deep eaves, and a string course runs around the sides, dividing the two main storeys. The plinth is constructed of larger rock-faced stone blocks and incorporates segmental arched grilled basement windows at street level. Flagpole fittings are attached to the front.

The two-storey side elevations feature similar windows; a side entrance doorway is to the left, and a recessed bay with metal railings is to the right.

The entrance lobby features glazed swing doors with coloured glass side and overlights. The main hall contains polished, grained wood six-panelled doors and surrounds, a dado rail, moulded skirting, a moulded cornice, a ceiling rose from which hangs a candelabra, and a terrazzo floor incorporating a red dragon motif. An Imperial staircase features moulded wooden newel posts and handrail, decorative metal balusters, and a polished wood side panel incorporating a large circular motif. It rises to a landing with a large round-headed window featuring a moulded surround with some coloured glass motifs, then to a first-floor landing with a fine decorative polychrome tiled floor and access to the main first-floor rooms, which have mostly been refurbished. Rooms on both floors retain some original features, including ceiling mouldings, cornices, roses, shutters and panelled reveals, door surrounds, and dados.